Vineet Kumar Singh played Suniel Shetty's body double, a dead body during days of struggle: 'Survival zaroori hai'
Actor Vineet Kumar Singh has recalled his days of struggle in Bollywood, and how he was forced to take up work he did not like, just to survive.
2025 has been a red-letter year for Vineet Kumar Singh. The actor, who has been a part of the entertainment industry for two decades, finally achieved a significant breakthrough with his performances in Chhaava and Superboys of Malegaon, experiencing both commercial success and critical acclaim. In a recent interaction, the actor spoke about the difficult road he had to take to reach this destination.
Vineet Kumar Singh on staying afloat in Bollywood
Appearing on Yuvaa’s All Star Roundtable, the actor recalled how he once worked as an assistant director on the 2004 film Vaah Life Ho To Aisi, in which fellow panellist Ishaan Khatter worked as a child artist. “Ishaan is sitting here. In 2004, he was a kid, and I used to bring him to set in my lap, when I was the assistant director on Waah Life Ho To Aisi. Mera sapna tha ki as an actor kaam karoon, par paristhitiyaan aisi thi ki woh mauka tha hi nahi. Life me aisa hota hai ki aap aisi situation me hain ki survival zaroori hai. Aap bachoge toh aapki kahaani aage jayegi. Aap shaheed ho gaye to bacha kya. Koi aapke baare me baat nahi karna chahega (It was my dream to work as an actor, but circumstances do not always allow you. There are situations in life where survival is important. Your story survives if you survive. If you die, what remains? Nobody would want to talk about you).”
Vineet then recalled how he had to take some hard calls about work during his days of struggle. “Suniel Shetty sahab ka duplicate bhi kiya hai, Sanju baba ke liye dead body bhi bana hoon. Ek hi cheez hai ki apne andar ka diya jalaate rahiye aur badhte rahiye. (I have played Suniel Shetty’s duplicate, and even a dead body for Sanjay Dutt. Just keep the flame alive in you and keep moving forward. That is important.)”
Vineet's acting journey
Vineet began his acting journey with a minor role in the 2002 Sanjay Dutt-starrer Pitaah, before doing small roles in several films over the next decade. He earned some recognition with a supporting role in Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 cult release Gangs of Wasseypur, before playing the lead in the director’s acclaimed film Mukkabaaz (2018). Having earned fame through OTT in series like Bard of Blood and Rangbaaz, Vineet finally broke through with his memorable portrayal of Kavi Kalash in Chhaava, one of the highest-grossing films of 2025. He was last seen in a supporting role in Tere Ishk Mein.
